This feels like a joke but there no longer laughing with me…

Previous studies suggest significant differences in Whites’ enjoyment of ethnic entertainment with the most pronounced effects among those who identify highly with authoritarian values (Altemeyer, 1988; Middleton, 1959; Oliver, 1996). Hobbes’ (1968) superiority theory argues that enjoyment of humor messages is derived from a falsely constructed sense of superiority to the disparaged. In other words, the perceiver not only fails to identify with the disparaged, but also receives gratification from seeing an inferior group belittled because it makes them feel more positive about themselves. Therefore, enjoyment of Black stereotyping is considered to be influenced by Whites’ sense of superiority and disconnect from Black culture. In addition, entertainment theories posit that responses to media fare are predetermined by audiences’ predispositions to a media character. For instance, Ford, Wentzel, and Lorion (2001) found that men exposed to sexist humor perceived sexism as normative and acceptable. These effects were most pronounced among men who already subscribed to beliefs about gender inequality. Similarly, Vidmar and Rokeach’s (1974) study on All in the Family revealed a relationship between predisposition and humor interpretation such that high-prejudiced individuals viewed comical racial slurs in the show as more acceptable than those low in prejudice. Disposition theory specifically explains that negative attitudes toward a media character most often predict higher enjoyment outcomes (Zillmann & Cantor, 1976). Cantor (1976) argued that mirth reactions are a combination effect of attitudinal predispositions as well as group membership. Therefore, racial attitudes play a significant role in humor interpretation. Moreover, Whites’ racial identity development helps to clarify the formation of Whites’ racial attitudes. Thus, the literature reviewed suggests that there is a gap in the understanding of the mechanisms involved in the way viewers of ethnic humor come to enjoy particular portrayals; the experimental study described below is designed to elucidate the role of two mechanisms in particular: disparagement and identity. Drawing inferences from the assertions of disposition based theories of enjoyment and theories of whiteness, Whites’ racial identity as reflected in their attitudes will moderate the relationship between exposure to stereotyped messages and enjoyment outcomes such that: H1: Those exposed to portrayals entailing Black disparagement will report higher levels of enjoyment than those exposed to portrayals of White disparagement.